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The report analyzes the path toward a zero-carbon power system in Qinghai province, China, by 2030. It identifies three primary challenges: the scale of renewables generation, consumption, and export; the flexibility requirements of a zero-carbon system; and operational challenges associated with high renewables penetration. To address these, the report evaluates the potential of battery energy storage systems, concentrated solar power, and green hydrogen for system flexibility, while proposing power market reforms including capacity pricing mechanisms and diversified ancillary services.

The policy brief examines the potential of the US Inflation Reduction Act's hydrogen production tax credit to scale clean hydrogen and decarbonize heavy industry. It argues that for grid-connected electrolyzers to qualify, the US Treasury must implement three pillars: additionality, emissions-accurate temporal accounting, and deliverability. Without these, the credit risks inducing higher emissions. If implemented correctly, the credit could provide up to $3 per kilogram of clean hydrogen, drive investment in geothermal and long-duration storage, and establish US leadership in international clean commodity standards.

The plastics industry contributes 3.4 percent of global carbon pollution, driven by a reliance on fossil fuels for production. Decarbonization requires improved carbon accounting, increased renewable energy use, and a transition toward a circular economy to reduce emissions from both production and end-of-life disposal.

RMI outlines how inclusive Solarize campaigns—community bulk-purchasing programs—can help low- and moderate-income (LMI) households overcome financial and outreach barriers to solar adoption. Drawing on support provided to over 20 US local governments in 2021 and 2022, the briefing highlights the importance of partnering with community-based organizations, securing dedicated LMI funding, and using trusted messengers to ensure equitable access to residential solar.

The document argues that simply framing the clean energy transition as a trade-off between fossil fuel jobs lost and green jobs gained is insufficient and risks undermining public support. While citing data that renewables created over 12 million jobs by 2021, it highlights widespread skepticism and growing global inequality driven by climate change, technology, urbanization, and migration. The authors propose a shift toward 'regenerative capitalism' and a 'Great Regeneration' to foster a more equitable and sustainable global economy.

The report examines the transition to a Market-Based Economic Dispatch (MBED) mechanism in India to address financial distress in the distribution sector and support the target of 50 percent non-fossil fuel power generation capacity by 2030.

The document highlights a gap in corporate carbon accounting, noting that current practices focus more on the assignment of emissions than on the actual impact of climate actions. It advocates for consequential accounting to ensure that novel business models for emissions reduction deliver genuine progress toward 1.5°C goals.

The document defines carbon accounting as the practice of quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions to set reduction targets. It traces the evolution of environmental reporting from the 1987 Montreal Protocol and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the establishment of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The text distinguishes between attributional accounting, which identifies where emissions occur, and consequential accounting, which measures system-wide changes resulting from specific actions. It argues that while attributional accounting is standard, organizations must adopt both methods in tandem and move toward near real-time assessments to effectively implement climate commitments and legislation like the US Inflation Reduction Act.

The author contends that the energy transition requires a more diverse workforce, noting that women are significantly underrepresented in STEM and senior leadership roles compared to the general workforce. The text highlights the economic benefits of gender diversity, citing higher returns on equity for companies with women in management, and emphasizes the role of mentorship programs like the WIRE Network in dismantling barriers for women in the Global South. It concludes that increasing female leadership is essential for driving investment in renewable energy and meeting 2030 climate deadlines.

The briefing outlines the necessity of a "managed phaseout" for coal plants, where stakeholders coordinate to retire plants early and replace them with clean energy. It identifies five specific financing mechanisms—managed transition vehicles, coal retirement credits, ratepayer-backed securitizations, power hedges, and concessional financing—that can provide the necessary capital to compensate workers and communities while funding renewable energy projects.

The document discusses the role of satellite technology in identifying industrial methane super-emitters to support the 1.5°C temperature goal and the Global Methane Pledge. It introduces a scientific metric called "completeness" and a corresponding tool (SPECT) to help policymakers and industry operators evaluate satellite capabilities for leak detection, methane accounting, and policy design.

RMI's analysis indicates that US states can secure significant federal investment, job growth, and health improvements by ambitiously adopting the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) tax credits, rebates, and grants. Under a "Climate Ambitious Scenario," states could see cumulative investments between $1 billion and $130 billion by 2030, with the highest per capita gains expected in states with strong renewable energy potential and industrial activity, such as Wyoming, Montana, and Louisiana.

The document examines how selecting materials with low embodied carbon or carbon-storing properties during building retrofits can prevent emissions spikes and transform buildings into carbon sinks. It analyzes exterior insulation systems and affordable multifamily housing projects in the Northeast to demonstrate that sustainable material substitutes are currently available to help meet 2030 decarbonization goals.

RMI developed the Local Energy Action Framework (LEAF) to help US local governments move from setting carbon-neutrality goals to implementing efficient energy projects. By analyzing six US cities and counties, the framework emphasizes a holistic approach that considers the interaction between energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable procurement. Key findings suggest that prioritizing high-demand facilities like water treatment plants for efficiency and using flexible loads or batteries to manage peak demand are critical for achieving 24/7 clean electricity. The guide also highlights that while electrification significantly reduces emissions, it increases building loads, necessitating the use of efficient technologies like heat pumps and the procurement of off-site non-solar renewable energy to fill remaining gaps.

The report argues that the Dominican Republic can eliminate its annual US$2 billion electricity subsidy by investing 2.5 to 3 years' worth of those funds (US$4.5 to US$6 billion) into rooftop solar installations. Using a blended finance approach—combining government grants with local loans—the model aims to reduce household electricity costs by up to 90% over time while ending the government's reliance on volatile fossil fuel expenditures.

The Home Efficiency Rebate program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act, provides $4.3 billion to incentivize whole-home retrofits for single-family and multifamily dwellings. Funding is distributed to state energy offices (SEOs) via formula, with rebate amounts scaling based on energy savings and doubling for low-income households. The guide recommends that states avoid subsidizing new fossil fuel appliances, stack incentives, and prioritize low-income access by setting spending goals of 40% to 80% of program funds for these households. It also suggests providing upfront rebates and utilizing zero-interest loans for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties to avoid tax complications.

The Home Electrification Rebate program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, provides point-of-sale rebates for electrification projects in single-family and multifamily residential units for low- and moderate-income households. The program allocates $4.5 billion, with $4.275 billion for state energy offices and $225 million for tribal governments. To maximize impact, the guide recommends training contractors on new technologies like heat pump water heaters and induction cooktops, simplifying the 'stacking' of multiple incentives, and prioritizing low-income households by setting spending goals of 40% to 80% of funding. It also suggests using zero-interest, long-term loans for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties to avoid tax complications and implementing tenant protections to prevent rent increases following upgrades.

The briefing highlights the significant energy consumption and emissions of Bitcoin, noting its annual consumption of 127 TWh and US emissions of 25 to 50 million tons of CO2. It discusses the transition of Ethereum to proof-of-stake as a successful model for reducing energy use by over 99.9 percent and advocates for Bitcoin to move away from proof-of-work to mitigate both emissions and e-waste. RMI details its contributions through the Crypto Climate Accord and the development of the RE Emissions Score to ensure renewable energy procurement is 'additional' rather than drawing from existing capacity. The document concludes that while RMI is ending its direct engagement with the crypto industry, it will focus on the broader goal of decarbonizing the global energy grid.

The briefing examines the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on utility integrated resource plans (IRPs), highlighting how DTE, Michigan's largest investor-owned utility, projected $500 million in customer savings over 20 years by incorporating IRA tax credits. The document outlines how IRA incentives can lower renewable costs, accelerate coal retirements, and increase battery storage deployment, while urging other utilities and regulators to leverage these tools for a faster energy transition.

The brief highlights the current inefficiency of carbon accounting, which relies on manual, non-standardized data exchange (PDFs, spreadsheets), hindering real-time business decisions. It proposes a shift toward open standards—similar to the evolution of web browsers—to enable comparability, interoperability, and machine-readability of emissions data. The author advocates for the adoption of standardized formats like PACT, the use of open-source collaboration models, and the integration of carbon tracking into supply chain management software to incentivize low-carbon production and support green procurement policies.